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Books for Keeps 230 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 230 - May 2018
BfK 230 May 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Thanks to Usborne Publishing for their help with this May cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 230 May 2018.

BfK No. 230 Articles

Editorial 230

Get ready for Empathy Day: Miranda McKearney looks forward to 12thJune

Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction

Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction

How do we measure up?

Children’s books as a mirror to society, how do they measure up? asks Chitra Soundar

Authograph 230 Brian Conaghan

Brian Conaghan interview by Joy Court

Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley

Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley

11 of the best football reads for children

Ten of the Best: the best football books chosen by Jim Sells of the National Literacy Trust

Beyond the Secret Garden ‘In Times of Peril’: Britons, Asians, Muslims

Part three in Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor’s series looking at representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices in children’s books.

The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist 2018

The Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 shortlist appraised by Derek Brazell

The CILIP Carnegie Medal shortlist 2018

The Carnegie Medal shortlist appraised by Nicholas Tucker

Hidden: from page to stage

Miriam Halahmy on the new adaptation of her novel Hidden

An interview with Lauren St John

Michelle Pauli interview Lauren St John

Two Children Tell: Filling in the Gaps

Two Children Tell: Filling in the picture book gaps

I Wish I’d Written: Sarah Govett

I Wish I’d Written… Sarah Govett chooses

Good Reads 230

Good Reads for Empathy Day, chosen by primary school pupils

Classics in Short No 129: The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People

The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People

The Little Rebels Award in 2018

Judge Darren Chetty reflects on the 2018 Little Rebels Prize.

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH JULIA GRAY, AUTHOR OF LITTLE LIAR

The author answers questions on her novel Little Liar

AN INTERVIEW WITH 2018 CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER GERALDINE McCAUGHREAN

The 2018 Carnegie Medal winner interviewed by Nicholas Tucker

Editor's Choice

The Electrical Venus

Julie Mayhew
(Hot Key Books)
4

Mim’s life is with Grainger’s Side Show along with a “dwaff”, a learned pig and Alex, a boy who has only one arm. Welcome to the world of Georgian entertainment. But this is also the Age of the Enlightenment when scientific discoveries and...

read more

New Talent

The House with Chicken Legs

Sophie Anderson
(Usborne Publishing Ltd)
5

A beautiful and original take on the Tale of Baba Yaga.

Marinka has lived with her grandmother, Baba Yaga all her life, helping her to lead the dead through The Gate to the stars and to enjoy one last wonderful meal together and hear the...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 230

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+

Under 5s

  • The Rhythm of the Rain

    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5
  • Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert

    Morag Hood
    5
  • The Story of Tantrum O’Furrily

    Cressida Cowell
    5
  • Colour My Days

    Ross Collins
    4
  • Baby Bird

    Andrew Gibbs
    4
  • Is it a Mermaid?

    Candy Gourlay
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Rhythm of the Rain

    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5
  • After the Fall. How Humpty Dumpty got back up again

    Dan Santat
    5
  • Space Tortoise

    Ross Montgomery
    5
  • Juniper Jupiter

    Lizzy Stewart
    3
  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel

    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Noah Scape Can’t Stop Repeating Himself

    Guy Bass
    5
  • Charlie and Me: 421 Miles from Home

    Mark Lowery
    5
  • Happyville High: Geek Tragedy

    Tom McLaughlin
    4
  • Kat Wolfe Investigates

    Lauren St John
    4
  • The Secret of the Night Train

    Sylvia Bishop
    4
  • HerStory: 50 women and girls who shook the world

    Katherine Halligan
    4
  • She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History

    Chelsea Clinton
    4
  • Dog Town

    Luize Pastore
    3
  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel

    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The House with Chicken Legs

    Sophie Anderson
    5
  • Rebound

    Kwame Alexander
    5
  • The Goose Road

    Rowena House
    5
  • Rose Rivers

    Jacqueline Wilson
    4
  • The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day

    Christopher Edge
    4
  • The Wild Folk

    Sylvia Linsteadt
    4
  • A Good Day for Climbing Trees

    Jaco Jacobs
    4
  • Child I

    Steve Tasane
    4
  • Flamingo Boy

    Michael Morpurgo
    3

Ages 14+

  • Stranger

    Keren David
    5
  • Me Mam. Me Dad. Me.

    Malcolm Duffy
    5
  • In Paris With You

    Clementine Beauvais
    5
  • Skylarks

    Karen Gregory
    4
  • The Electrical Venus

    Julie Mayhew
    4
  • The Girl in the Broken Mirror

    Savita Kalhan
    4
  • On a Scale of One to Ten

    Ceylan Scott
    4
  • Ash Princess

    Laura Sebastian
    4

BfK News

NATASHA FARRANT WINS 2020 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Natasha Farrant

Writer and literary scout Natasha Farrant has won the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award for Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, a book which the judges described as ‘pure heavenly escapism and a purely joyful read.’

read more...
ROBIN WALKER WINS THE 2020 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD FOR BLACK HISTORY MATTERS

The winner of the 2020 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award is Black History Matters: The Story of Black History, From African Kingdoms to Black Lives Matter. Written by acclaimed Black historian, Robin Walker, the 2020 judges praised this accessible, comprehensive and inspiring book which provides a timely introduction both to Black history and the Black Lives Matter movement.

read more...
IBBY UK nominate Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022

IBBY UK has announced that Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee will be the UK nominations for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Debut authors Darren Charlton and Jenny Pearson join Natasha Farrant and Meg Rosoff on the shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award.

The shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award has been announced. No less than 146 books were submitted and from those the judges have chosen a shortlist of four. They are:

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (Little Tiger)

read more...
BOOKTRUST’S REPRESENTS INTERIM RESEARCH & CLPE REFLECTING REALITIES SURVEY 2020

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE 2021 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

The six books shortlisted for the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards have been announced.

Blue Peter Book Award logo

read more...
Happy National Non-Fiction November 2020

It’s National Non-Fiction November! Organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, National Non-Fiction November is an annual celebration of the power of non-fiction to inspire children and celebrate readers who have a passion for information and facts. 2020 is the 10th anniversary of National Non-Fiction November.

read more...
JANE PORTER AND MAISIE PARADISE SHEARRING 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD WINNERS

Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring have won the 2020 Little Rebels Award for their picture book The Boy who Loved Everyone. They will share the £2000 prize.

Little Rebels logo 2020

read more...
OU AND MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS LAUNCH BOOK CHAT SCHEME

The Open University (OU) is launching Book Chat: Reading with your Child, a resource which comprises three short films and support materials to help parents, families and carers read books conversationally and creatively to children. Working with Macmillan Children’s Books, the films use a selection of their picture books and a poetry collection to support families with reading to different ages of children.

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TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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